Expect stronger police presence at the Beaches for Memorial Day crowds

JACKSONVILLE BEACH | Visitors can expect an increased police presence at Jacksonville Beach for the Memorial Day holiday as the city seeks to prevent a repeat of last year’s brawls. Video of the brawls went viral, spawning a perception that downtown Jacksonville Beach is unsafe.

Mayor Charlie Latham said he is confident the city is prepared to respond to any situation and provide a safe environment for visitors.

“There is going to be a substantially increased police presence, as there always is for our special event weekends,” Latham said.

Last year, fights involving about 10 to 15 people, mostly males in their late teens and early 20s from Jacksonville, erupted on Memorial Day at the pier and SeaWalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach.

Video of the brawls fights looped repeatedly on television and websites.

“Nothing can stop people who are bound and determined to do something bad. What we have to be is proactive about looking for those people and responding quickly to maintain a safe environment for our visitors and residents. And I think we are well-prepared to do that,” Latham said.

The Jacksonville Beach City Council last month approved hiring four new police officers to expand to nine the city’s Downtown Community Assisted Police Effort.

That unit uses community policing methods to prevent and solve crimes, as well as address “quality of life crimes” in the city’s downtown. The new officers haven’t started yet.

Nonetheless, Jacksonville Beach police will be out in “very adequate” force this weekend, said Sgt. Thomas Crumley, a department spokesman.

Kyle Witmere of St. Augustine said he spent last Memorial Day with friends at Jacksonville Beach.

The 23-year-old didn’t witness the brawls, but watched the videos.

“I just don’t see that happening again,” said Witmere, who said he plans to return to Jacksonville Beach to celebrate Memorial Day.

However. Jacksonville Beach resident Sandi Fitzgerald is worried.

“So many people converge here that you’re bound to get troublemakers and there is no way to keep them out. … I think the cops probably do what they can, but they can’t be everywhere,” said Fitzgerald, 51, who plans to spend the holiday at home until the crowds leave.

ATLANTIC BEACH

Neighboring Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach historically haven’t had as many problems with unruly crowds, drunks and other troublemakers as Jacksonville Beach.

But police officials in the two communities say their departments will be ready for an influx of visitors.

“We’re looking at it as any other holiday weekend. And we always try to make sure we are fully staffed and have extra resources available if needed and things like that,” Atlantic Beach Police Chief Mike Classey said.

Classey said they “will have their full complement of staffing with a little bit extra due to it’s a holiday.”

Nor does Atlantic Beach have the number of bars that Jacksonville Beach does in its business district.

Those factors work in Atlantic Beach’s favor to reduce the potential for problems stemming from large crowds, Classey said.

“We’re more of a family-environment beach than having a lot of bars and hang-out places,” Classey said.

“We don’t have the problems that Jacksonville Beach has with large groups of people just coming out and just hanging out, say at [the] pier or a certain district of town, where large groups accumulate and large fights tend to break out.”

NEPTUNE BEACH

Neptune Beach Mayor Harriet Pruette is concerned that unruly or drunken beach-goers will cause problems in the city while en route to or from Jacksonville Beach.

She’s particularly worried about First Street, citing several complaints she received from the neighborhood’s residents, who said there was a noticeable absence of police in that area during the recent Dancin’ in the Streets festival at Beaches Town Center.

“We will have extra officers on duty Saturday, Sunday and Monday that will be patrolling the First Street area along the beach,” she said.

Neptune Beach Police Chief David Sembach said they did have officers on First Street during Dancin’ in the Street.

Sembach, noting he hadn’t received any complaints, said because his of limited manpower, officers must respond to other calls and can’t be stationed in one place all the time.

The department is three officers short of its full complement of 19. The officers he does have “are working a lot of overtime, but they can’t work seven days a week,” Sembach said.

Memorial Day historically hasn’t been a problem in Neptune Beach, he said.

The Independence Day holiday, Sembach said, is a major event.

For that holiday, Sembach expects up have up to 15 officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to assist Neptune Beach police, which will be out in force.